India to develop 50 new tourism destinations and 59 new routes under UDAAN to promote tourism in India

India to develop 50 new tourism destinations and 59 new routes under UDAAN to promote tourism in India

Ministry of Tourism, Government of India in association of department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan has organized G20 Tourism Expo in Jaipur from 23rd to 25th April 2023.

In line with India’s G20 Presidency coinciding with celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav Amrit Kaal, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India is attempting to develop India’s Tourism Sector on a mission mode under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Elaborating the same, Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India 0n April 24, said that India plans to develop 50 new tourism destinations across the country and envisages making 59 new air routes operational to boost tourism in the country.

Speaking during inaugural session of G20 Tourism Expo organized by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India along with FICCI and Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan, Shri Arvind Singh said, “Amidst India’s G20 Presidency, India’s Tourism sector is showing one of the strongest recoveries in the Asia Pacific region. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, India registered 6.19 million foreign Tourists arrivals in 2022 registering a growth of 305% as compared to 1.52 million in 2021. To promote tourism further, we plan to promote Green Tourism and open 50 new Tourism destinations and launch publicity in overseas market.”

The Ministry of Tourism has already organized two G20- Tourism working Group Meetings and is exploring promotion of Green Tourism, Digitalization, Skill development, promotion of MSMEs and Destination Management. Besides, the Government is also focusing on robust infrastructure development. “We are taking a 360-degree view of developing the Tourism infrastructure with focus on enhancing rail, road, and Air connectivity. We have recommended 59 new routes to the Ministry of Civil Aviation under the Udaan Scheme, which is very successful and out of these 51 Tourism routes have already been operationalized,” said Shri Singh while highlighting the initiatives taken for the deepening of the tourism sector in the country.

Mr. Vishwendra Singh, Minister of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan On April 24, informed that the state government plans to revive 23 old air-strips spread all over Rajasthan which will give boost to tourism sector in the state. Delivering his inaugural address at G20 Tourism Expo, Shri Vishwendra Singh said, “ Under our newly introduced Rural Tourism policy, we are going to re-develop 23 air-strips with private sector support. This will provide a big impetus to tourism in Rajasthan, especially in rural areas and create humongous employment opportunities.”

“Rajasthan has also formed a path-breaking Rural Tourism policy which other states should emulate. The policy is expected to boost wildlife tourism, cultural and religious tourism across the state,” said Shri Vishwendra Singh. Enumerating the initiatives taken by Rajasthan Government, Smt. Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary – Tourism, Art & Culture, Government of Rajasthan said, “Rajasthan is home to about 75% of heritage properties in India, many of which have been renovated and restored through public private partnership and are now being used for royal-weddings and film shoots. Our department has recently formulated Rural Tourism Scheme to promote Tourism in rural Rajasthan and create employment opportunity.”

Welcoming the delegates and dignitaries Shri Dipak Deva, Chairperson, Tourism & Culture Committee of FICCI said, “The recovery of tourism worldwide has been phenomenon and India is leading from the front. We hope to keep the momentum aiming at 11 million FTAs. India’s G20 Presidency will add strength to India’s drive”.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Past President, FICCI & CMD of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group said, “India’s G20 Presidency is an incredible opportunity of not only to host meetings, but also a fantastic platform to showcase India’s diverse culture, cuisine, heritage and its treasure of tourism destinations. It is also a great opportunity for tourism industry to showcase itself.”

During the inaugural of G20 Tourism Expo, several dignitaries, including Ambassador of Republic of South Korea to India His Excellency Mr. Chang Jae-bok were present. Attended by the stalwarts of tourism, travel and hospitality sector of India, the event will witness some of the leading names of governance, policy making and industry coming together on one platform to deliberate on the future of India’s travel and tourism industry.

The G20 Tourism Expo is being organized simultaneously with the 12th edition of Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB). GITB, one of the biggest events of inbound tourism in India, is co-organized by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India along with Department of Tourism, Government of Rajasthan and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). The special G20 Tourism Expo will include panel discussions, ambassadors’ roundtable, cultural eventing, game of golf and other programmes.

Being held after a gap of three years, GITB will witness over 11,000 B2B meetings of 283 tour operators from 56 countries, including 150+ from G20 countries, with the representatives of Tourism Boards from 11 states namely – Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh, apart from Rajasthan along with more than 290 Indian Exhibitors.

The premier tourism event is supported by leading national and regional associations like Hotel & Restaurant Association of Rajasthan (HRAR), Indian Heritage Hotels Association (IHHA) and Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators (RATO). The first edition of the GITB was held in 2008 and since then has grown from strength to strength and is considered a force to recon within inbound travel mart of India.

Ministry of Tourism, to organize the country’s first Global Tourism Investors’ Summit (GTIS) in New Delhi from 17-19 May 2023

Ministry of Tourism, to organize the country’s first Global Tourism Investors’ Summit (GTIS) in New Delhi from 17-19 May 2023

Ministry of Tourism organized a roundtable interaction with heads of mission in New Delhi on March 23 as a run up to first Global Tourism Investor’s Summit.

As an initiative under India’s G20 Presidency, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India shall be organizing the country’s first Global Tourism Investors’ Summit (GTIS) in New Delhi from 17-19 May 2023.

The Roundtable Interaction with Heads of Missions was chaired by Shri G.Kishan Reddy, Minister of Tourism, Culture and DONER. While addressing the Heads of the Missions at Vigyan Bhawan on March 23, Shri Reddy remarked that guided by the Vision of  Prime Minister, tourism development and promotion is being undertaken in Mission Mode by the Government. He also stated that the current investment landscape of the country makes it an appropriate destination for investment in various sub sectors of the Indian tourism industry such as Hospitality & Lodging, Wellness tourism, Adventure tourism, Eco-Tourism, Rural Tourism and others. The Minister thanked all the participating Missions for attending the Roundtable Interaction and invited them to actively participate in the forthcoming Investors Summit and be a part of India`s growth  and development in the tourism sector.

Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism mentioned that in order to showcase investible opportunities to investors, till now 25 states have shared 350 plus investable projects with a total investment potential of around Rs. 64,000 Cr. (USD 7.7 billion) with the Ministry of Tourism. He stated that GTIS will also have several knowledge sessions focused on topics such as sustainability, digitalization, technology, insights, state-specific issues, and other sub-sectors of tourism. These sessions will facilitate business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) engagements.

Mr. K B Kachru, Member, CII National Committee on Tourism and Hospitality stated that GTIS is the right platform for all the tourism & hospitality industries operating outside India to come, witness the huge Indian market, and leverage the available investment opportunities.

 A total of 42 Foreign Missions participated on March 23, this Year’s Interaction. The G-20 Presidency will give India’s tourism sector an unparalleled opportunity to highlight India’s tourism offerings and share India’s tourism success stories on a global stage. India’s tourism market is set for a growth trajectory due to improved infrastructure, global connectivity, higher disposable incomes and the development of niche tourism products opening opportunities for foreign investors.

 Tourism sector has emerged as one of the fastest growing economic sectors and has a significant impact on trade, job creation, investment, infrastructure development and social inclusion. The objective of GTIS 2023, being organized in partnership with Invest India as the Investment Promotion and Facilitation partner and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the Industry Partner, is to provide a common platform for interactions between global and domestic players and explore the investment opportunities in the Indian travel and hospitality sector.

India has a diverse portfolio of niche tourism products which includes cruises, adventure, medical, wellness, sports such as Golf and Polo, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions), ecotourism, film, rural and spiritual tourism and the Investor Summit will provide a two-way platform for showcasing of the unique offerings of India while the potential investors from foreign countries can identify the state-specific investment possibilities in the segment unique to that State. A web-site www.gtistourism.in has also been developed which will help in taking forward the public-private engagements beyond the event as well. All the G20 countries are expected to participate at the mega event.

100% FDI in the tourism and Hospitality sector is allowed under automatic route. In the last 8 years from 2014-2022, India has received FDI inflows worth USD 9.2 billion in the hotel and tourism sector whereas India had received FDI inflows worth USD 7.2 billion from 2000-2014.  States are also actively working on policies and providing incentives and concessions to attract private investments for Homestays, MICE infrastructure, Wellness tourism, Eco tourism etc. In line with the push towards streamlining of approvals, the Ministry of Tourism is integrating with National Single Window System (NSWS) platform and reduce the number of approvals required to setup a new project in Tourism & Hospitality sector. 7 States are actively working with NSWS to provide a unified interface to identify and apply for approvals required for setting up a hotel.

Ministry of Tourism launches the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller campaign

Ministry of Tourism launches the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller campaign

Sustainable and responsible tourism practices will be implemented in various projects and initiatives through Swadesh Darshan 2.0: Shri Arvind Singh

Ministry of Tourism, in partnership with the United Environment Program (UNEP) and Responsible Tourism Society of India (RTSOI) organized National Summit on Developing Sustainable & Responsible Tourist Destinations today in New Delhi. On this occasion, the Ministry of Tourism launched the National Strategy for Sustainable Tourism and Responsible Traveller Campaign.

The Strategy document has identified the strategic pillars for the development of sustainable tourism like Promoting Environmental Sustainability, Protecting Biodiversity, Promoting Economic Sustainability, Promoting Socio-Cultural Sustainability, the Scheme for Certification of Sustainable Tourism, IEC, and Capacity Building and Governance.

Speaking on the occasion Secretary Tourism Shri Arvind Singh said that Tourism and Environment share a Special Relationship. Their interaction with each other is a two-way process. On the one hand, environmental resources constitute one of the basic ingredients of tourism. The natural and manmade setting form the tourism products which the tourist enjoys lives and relax. On the other hand, the close and direct relationship between visitors, host communities, and the local environment creates a sensitive situation, whereby tourism can be both very damaging and also very positive for sustainable development. The COVID-19 pandemic has further forced the tourism sector to shift its focus to resiliency, sustainability, and interconnectedness among diverse stakeholders in the sector.

Shri Arvind Singh further said that we need to make use of cleaner fuels. Prime Minister has also announced that India will increase its capacity of non-fossil energy capacity to 500 GW and meet 50 percent of its energy requirements through renewable energy by 2030. “State tourism policies should recognise sustainability principles and the Sustainable Development Goals in their vision and strategic direction for tourism. With the vision to create a sustainable future for tourism, the Ministry of Tourism has also taken various steps in this direction”, he added.

Shri Arvind said that the Ministry of Tourism with the objective to provide experience to the tourists launched Swadesh Darshan Scheme and has now sanctioned 76 Projects. With the learnings of this scheme, we have now revamped the Swadesh Darshan Scheme as Swadesh Darshan 2.0. “The idea of Swadesh Darshan 2.0 is to undertake holistic development with the vision to develop Sustainable and Responsible Tourist Destinations. While formulating the guidelines for SD 2.0 we have kept various elements in mind in order to undertake destination development in a sustainable and responsible manner. Through the Swadesh Darshan, 2.0 sustainable and responsible tourism practices will be implemented in various projects and initiatives. The Scheme will encourage the adoption of principles of sustainable tourism including environmental, socio-cultural and economic sustainability”, he added.

Apart from Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Mr. Shombi Sharp, Head of UN in India, and Shri Rakesh Mathur, President, RTSOI, various eminent Speakers working in the field of Sustainable Tourism & Responsible Travel and from State Governments addressed the participants in different sessions during the One Day National Summit. The Summit was attended by senior officers of different Central Ministries, State Governments/UT Administrations, and various Tourism & Hospitality Industry Associations.

A Pledge was also administered by Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism to the participants to become responsible travelers and be advocates of responsible tourism.

National Tourism Day 25th January 2022

The Ministry of Tourism celebrated the National Tourism Day  by holding a two-hour program on a virtual platform today on the 25th of January 2022 under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration, marking the 75 years of India’s independence. The theme of this year’s celebration is Rural and Community Centric Tourism. Rural Tourism provides valuable commercial and employment opportunities for communities that are confronted with the growing challenge of offering viable livelihoods for their local populations.

The program was presided by Hon`ble Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoER, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, who was the Chief Guest for the event. The program was started with the opening remarks by Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India and followed by the addresses of Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Textiles, Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Smt. Leena Nandan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri G. Ashok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Shri Anand Mahindra, Chairman of Mahindra Group and Col. Manoj Keshwar, Atulya Ganga Parikrama.

During the program, Hon`ble Union Minister of Tourism, Culture and DoNER, Shri G. Kishan Reddy launched the digital booklet 75 incredible sites to visit in India and Incredible India 2022 digital calendar by the Ministry of Tourism dedicated to tourism sites. Hon’ble Minister in his address emphasised on aggressive promotion of varied tourism products that India has to offer to the world. Tourism is one of the largest employments generating sector and it plays a vital role in direct and indirect employment. He also discussed the importance of domestic tourism and plans to start of Tourism Clubs to create more awareness among the students and youth of our country. Further he stressed on the promotion of tourism with special focus North-Eastern region and to tap the potentiality of the region. Hon’ble Minister shared his views on how to increase India’s share in global tourism market. Also appeal to connect with corporate sector under Adopt a Heritage project under corporate social responsibility. He spoke to utilise the competency of  Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Railways etc. and how to empower the tourism in the country.

In the opening remarks Shri Arvind Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism spoke about how in India, the Tourism sector has emerged as one of the key drivers of economic growth. Tourism promotes national integration and makes citizens aware of the beauty and rich cultural heritage of our great nation. It also promotes inter-regional relationships and encourages cultural pursuits and providing support to local handicrafts. We have seen how the textile products of Pochampally and art forms of Raghurajpur have been a major tourism attraction both for domestic and international tourists. It is essential that such models are replicated in other parts of India to bring economic benefits from tourism to local communities to generate employment and bridge the cultural divide between urban and rural spaces.

Shri Upendra Prasad Singh, Secretary Ministry of Textiles, GOI highlighted the importance of Indian handloom and handicrafts that represents the rich culture and heritage of our country. He also spoke about how handloom & handicrafts and tourism goes together and how it helps to enrich the travel experiences.

Shri Govind Mohan, Secretary Ministry of Culture, GOI spoke about the interconnection between culture and tourism. India is home to greatest philosophies, temple structures, world heritage sites arts & crafts. India is  a huge cultural repository and the facets of culture are many fold and unparalleled and we need to integrate them.

Smt. Leena Nandan Secretary Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change GOI emphasised on the importance of eco-tourism. She also shared her views on how we can tap the potentiality and growth of tourism in the country in a responsible and sustainable manner. To strengthen the livelihood opportunities of the communities & stakeholders who are directly or indirectly connected with the biodiversity of the country including tiger reserves, sanctuaries, marine zones etc.

Shri G. Ashok Kumar, Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga spoke about the project launched for the holistic rejuvenation, restoration, conservation of Ganga Basin. Ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management and to maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development.

Shri Anand Mahindra, Chairman Mahindra Group shared his views on tourism in India and importance of domestic tourism for national integration. India’s rich diversity and heritage can cater to different segments of tourists from modest budget traveller to an unmatched luxury experience.

Col. Manoj Keshwar, Atulya Ganga Parikrama shared his experience of Ganga Parikrama an initiative with a vision of Rejuvenation & restoration of Indian rivers and their eco-system. The Ganga Parikrama by foot started from prayagraj to Gangasagar and upto Gangotri and back to Prayagraj, a journey of 190 days, around 5530 kms touching various cities and villages on the way and millions of people on the way.

For active Janbhagidari and as an outreach program for the citizens, Ministry of Tourism has collaborated with MyGov and organised activities namely, National Tourism Day-Poster Design Contest, National Tourism Day- Caller Tune Contest, National Tourism Day – Picture Quiz and a write-up contest on ‘Unseen India’ – 75 Lesser-Known sites in India. These activities are open to everyone across India and the winners will be awarded exciting prizes.

The Government announced various fiscal and relief measures to benefit the Tourism Industry like providing financial support to more than 11,000 registered Tourist Guides & Travel and Tourism Stakeholders as well as issuing 5 Lakh free Tourist Visas. India has reached the historic milestone of administering 150 crore vaccine doses to citizens and started 2022 on a high note by expanding the ambit to include children in the 15-17 age bracket.

Tourism in the last two years has been affected world over including India due to the ongoing pandemic. In line with the Prime Minister`s call asking every citizen to visit at least 15 destinations by the year 2022 to promote domestic tourism, National Tourism Day celebrations will help to foster the awareness in country on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political, and economic value. A gradual increase in the domestic tourism will help for recovery and growth in many folds of the society

The Government is taking cognizance of Rural Tourism – one of the areas in which India can excel. Recently, Pochampally village in Telangana was selected as one of the best Tourism Villages in the world by the United Nations World Tourism Organization for its crafts, reforms, and historical significance out of the three nominations namely Ladhpura Khas in Madhya Pradesh, Kongthong village in Meghalaya, and Pochampally village in Telangana, submitted by the Ministry of Tourism. The Ministry of Tourism proposes to organize a physical event at Pochampally, after the pandemic situation improves. Rural tourism can help to disperse tourism in highly populated countries; this directs tourists away from some of the more well-known, busy areas and provides work opportunities and economic activity in alternative areas.

The field offices of the Ministry of Tourism across India and conducted various activities to mark the occasion of National Tourism Day such as webinars, quiz competitions, elocution competition, Heritage Walk Incredible India branding at the airports, on the taxies. Institute of Hotel Management (IHMs), Food Crafts Institutes (FCI) and Indian Institute of Travel and Tourism Management (IITTM) also organised various activities such as Cultural Programmes, Rural Food Ethnic cuisine competition, Nukkd Natak etc.

Today’s The two hour programme YouTube link :

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